I recently watched one of Derren
Brown’s shows: Something Wicked This Way Comes. The Show is the usual
hotch-potch of Derren’s tricks and magic. The most interesting thing for me was
that right at the beginning of the show, Derren had written down a word and
handed it in confidence to an audience member (who hadn’t opened the envelope).
The after all the evenings festivities, Derren handed out a bunch of different
newspapers then the audience chose a random paper, a random page and on that
page a random word. At each seemingly random stage, Derren asked if the
audience wished to change their choice of newspaper or page or word, but no one
budged. Then Derren grandly unveiled the word he had written down at the
beginning of the show and it was the same as this seemingly randomly and freely
chosen word: INFLUENTIAL.
A grand end to the show with Derren
revealing that he had even written down the name of the newspaper (Daily Mail)
and the page number (14) that would be chosen. He then went on to reveal how he
did it. He had subliminally planted the words “Daily, Mail, page 14,
influential” repeatedly and surreptitiously. Then when the time to choose came,
people chose exactly what Derren wanted them to. People chose what they felt deep
in their hearts was ‘right’. But they were being brainwashed to not only choose
what their handler wanted, but also brain washed to forget they were
brainwashed.
Coming to the blog. It is this show
that somehow explained to me how otherwise apparently intelligent people hate
Narendra Modi. In fact, a lot of prior engagements have taught me that people
will make a complete fool of themselves in digging for a logical basis to hate
Modi. While there are several examples on my facebook page, I cant be asked to
dig all of them out. So here is a recent discussion on Twitter that exposes the
circuitous logic of the ‘programmed’. I am of course hiding the identity of the
other side, because that is not relevant. This is basically the thought process
of almost everyone who hates Narendra Modi for no reason. Just like it was for
Derren audience. Remember, Derren had about an hour to program his audience and
it worked. Our MSM and cocktail party gang has had over a decade!
It started with this tweet:
XYZ @xyz
The hatred
and Ram Mandir is also diverting attention from more important issues like our
economic mess. Any discourse on that? No? ok.
Presumably this was expressing anguish at a
recent visit of Amit Shah to Ayodhya to pray at the Ram Mandir. While the case
for a temple has pretty much been vindicated in the court, BJP’s stand has been
than only through, court order or consensus or legislation will a temple be
constructed at the site. So I am unsure why this person thought visiting a Ram
temple is hateful or why each temple visit diverts attention. His “any
discourse on that? No? Ok” implies that this person believes that all discourse
on economics has stopped.
To which I replied:
namo has
been talking development last 10 years. No one listening? Ok.
XYZ @xyz
What's his
plan to get India
Ok, now this person is intelligent. He
knows he has been caught out on the discussion of economic issues. So he
quickly changes the goal post. He now specifically asks if Namo has spelled out
his plan to get India
Me:
Odd you
dont demand that answer from congress. Khair. Modi has done wonders with guj if
u see the ideas he presents in various fora
can be
applied to india
At this point I am thinking this person is
genuinely unaware (versus deliberately uninformed or ignorant), so I am still
giving answers which are quite self explanatory. I am saying Namo outlines his
plans in various fora and a lot of his state-level ideas can be applied to the
country at large.
XYZ @xyz
LOL. I
demanded that answer from Congress and look what they've done.
This is a classic tactic by Modi haters.
After the recent spate of boo-boos by this government, they are ashamed to
publicly acknowledge themselves as Congress voters, hence they try and write
them off immediately, so that THEY don’t have be answerable for anything, but
are free (in their mind) can come out with a litany or pointless questions.
XYX @xyz
that all is
structural change which will take time to show gains. It is required no doubt.
But what about next 1-2 years?
But he cant ignore the facts that I have
placed before him. So the goal posts change a second time. From only discussing
economic issues, now this person puts the additional condition of a time limit!
This has begun to now get ridiculous.
Me:
only reason
he is not explicitly saying I can apply this for india
This is actually disconnected from the
original messages I was typing. How can Namo be expected to talk of a national
policy when he has not been anointed as BJP’s national candidate? This
political reality should be clear to a 5 year old who follows Indian politics
and knows the compulsions of coalitions and Namo’s opponents in his own party.
But...
XYZ @xyz
political
stupidity? He can engage in a debate, express his views in media. You don't
have to wait. See in the US
This person disagrees. Which is fair. He
wants Namo to dance to his tunes, its not illegal to expect people to do what
you want. Only illegal to force them. This person who probably will never vote
for Namo wants Namo to plan his strategy they way he wants it. While Namo wants
to frame his strategy as he himself wants. This is a disagreement, but a fair
one. Which is what I humbly point out next:
Me:
hw he
outlines his plans is upto him. Unfair 1 shud ask for a years plan. If he had
given a years plan ud have said where r structural
Me:
changes! He
does engage in debates watch them! Go on youtube. Check his q/a wuth raghav
bahl!
To be fair this was a bit of a jibe from me
J to tell
him I realise what he is doing, that he will continue to change goal posts. But
I also kindly tell him where he can find a economics based debate with an
anchor if he so wishes.
XYZ @xyz
and I think
the UK
From first asking for a US style debate, now the example of UK
XYZ @xyz:
no, I
wouldn't have said that all. Structural stands irrespective. But structural
takes min 3-5yrs to show gains
XYZ @xyz
boss those
are all debates on Ram and stuff. The media plays that card because that's what
sells.
But again he can’t ignore the facts I have
pointed out so then tries to dismiss them. So he takes on the structural jibe
of mine from my last tweet. Then he lies
about the debate. He could not have watched in between the time we were
tweeting. But he categorically says that the debate with Raghav Bahl is on “ram
and stuff”(I wonder if he would have the guts to say “<insert secular god
name> and stuff”). Now that is a lie. This is what I mean, from looking like
fools that change goal posts to lying about debates they havent watched is
quite pathetic in my book. Brainwashing coming into play. But he cleverly tries
to blame the media for this thinking I would let it go.
Me:
I think
after 10 years of congress 3 years to waise bhi lagna hain
thats not
true. If I send you youtube links where non ram issues are being discussed will
you change your stance?
shadow
cabinet has been suggested to him by many incl me. But only he can decide his
strategy not u/I na. Unfair want him 2 do exactly
as we want.
Next what quarterly projections? !:))
I followed it with a few tweets that
basically stated the fact that for a country with 1200 million people, with
mismanagement for the last ten years, three years is not a long time for
changes to be visible. I offered to then send him links to debate where “ram
and stuff” is not being discussed. Also, I agreed in principle that perhaps its
time for a shadow cabinet with the caveat that while he and I may feel this
(one more genuinely than the other perhaps), but its unfair to expect Namo to
do exactly what we like. Especially when you keep changing the goal posts.
XYZ @xyz
obviously!
send them, but they should have specifics of policy (fiscal deficit, CAD, etc).
Now he takes advantage of the help I offer
to saying now I should sort out the videos to specific issues. Again when
confronted with truth, the goal post changed from non “ram and stuff” issues to
two specific issues.
IT IS WORTH NOTING AT THIS STAGE THAT THE
ORIGINAL GRIPE THIS PERSON HAD IS THAT MODI IS ONLY TALKING ABOUT LORD RAM AND
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT ECONOMIC ISSUES. NOW HERE HE HAS LOST THE DEBATE WITH
ME BY NOT ASSERTING THAT ANY MORE BUT NOW GOING ON A TANGENT ISSUES WITH
SPECFIC ECONOMIC ISSUES AND SHIFTING TIME FRAMES.
Me:
in fact 4
10 yrs namo spoke only dvlpmnt n media did hindu Muslim. Nw if amit s mentions
ram u say why ram talk dvlp. Wow.
At this point, I point out the hypocrisy of
his clique.
XYZ @xyz
next is
debates and discourse. I get that Hindutva is required for votes. But Hindu
pride alone won't get 8% GDP growth
Now this person again tries to be
condescending but saying “Hindutva is required for votes” and trying to
surreptitiously forward his point that only Hindutva is being discussed. But
then makes the mistake of lying again. He implies that Namo is suggesting that
Hindu pride alone will get us 8% GDP growth. So I ask him for the source:
Me:
do u have a
quote from namo that says only hindu pride enough for 8% growth. Or has his
work in guj been so for u to infer this?
he has done
nothing like this. This is msm story playing.
prhps he
has a plan ready. I think he does. You and I want him to reveal it today. He
might be waiting for poll call. Who knows?
my ltd
point is broad brushing that namo is only taking religion when what he us doing
is almat exactly opposite is wrong.
I gently point out above that what he is
saying is the MSM (main stream media) programming playing through him. I also
point out that he is lying when he says that Namo is talking about religion
when he isnt doing so at all.
XYZ @xyz
the ram is all
over Mumbai - that's what I'm talking about. Even Modi knows Ram sells more
than development
Again, he refers to Lord Ram in a flippant
manner trying to make me lose my temper to give him some semblance of victory
in a debate that he has lost several tweets back. Notably, what he tweets is
again a lie. In fact I had bet him to post a photo of Modi extolling “the Ram”
on any hoarding outside his window, I would have won the bet. I think what he
was referring to is Namo’s comment that went something like: “I am a patriot, a
nationalist. I was born a hindu. So by that logic you can say I am a Hindu
Nationalist”. This statement was made by Namo in reply to a specific questioned
asked by an interviewer and not on his volition. A few of his supporters had put
up a few posters praising Namo for this comment. But it certainly wasn’t all
over Mumbai and the posters certainly were not put up by Modi himself. In fact
Modi did not make that statement with a jingoistic mindset, with the
interviewer who had asked him his question herself clarifying this. Also, now
this person is actually telling me that he knows what Modi knows. I do not
profess similar powers of clairvoyance and thus resist to give my opinion on
this.
XYZ @xyz
I don't
have a quote from Namo saying *anything* is enough for 8% growth, leave alone
Hindu pride. Don't mix Guj in this.
no I don't
want him to reveal it today. He can reveal whenever. I want him to give just a
few ideas out of that plan.
Interestingly, now he doesn’t want me to
talk of Namo’s work in Gujarat . But he is the
CM of that state. How can I not use what he does in this ‘debate’. Its like
saying I can easily knock out Mike Tyson. But only if you tie his hands and
legs and chloroform him and give me a hammer.
Next he actually reaffirms that he was
lying when he says he has no quote from Modi on anything. But so far he was so
sure about what his debates were about. Even what Modi knew. Then he makes an
even more startling observation that he doesn’t want Namo to reveal his
specific 1 or 2 year plan that he wants today. Huh? If you don’t, then what
were you complaining about in your original tweet? Its like a child complaining
about the taste of his next dinner when he isnt yet hungry enough for his
breakfast yet! But then he says, he wants Namo to give a few ideas to him.
XYZ @xyz
Huh? That didn’t even make sense.
XYZ @xyz
I'm not
asking for an exact, precise, Budget and a policy. He can give an idea, some
suggestions, just a few action points
Importantly he has now lost his debate for
a 1-2 year plan. He now asks for “an idea, some suggestions, just a few action
points”. In my naivety I suggest a few things that Namo has done, to my limited
knowledge:
Me:
in what
area? Judicial reform? He has done it. E governance he has done it. Power
sector mgmt he has done it. You haven't listened!
he has mate. Haven't you seen hos rural
development m wastewater management idea he gave a study to the pm on?
XYZ @xyz
waste water
management? seriously? yeah ok, got it. Thanks.
Again, the weapon of the defeated, a one
last stab at condescension. Ok, one more stab, as below:
let me try
this again. Imports? Subsidies? Food Security? Manufacturing? Labor Laws?
Taxation? Oil pricing? Gas pricing?
Implying that it is I who has not
understood that this great person has to try again. But again he lies. He asked
for “an idea, some suggestions, just a few action points” now when I point out
several, he picks out one he thinks is silly to try and ridicule me. Ignoring
the ones that he cant ridicule without looking more foolish himself. In any
case, I think his curiosity should be satisfied when Ive given him 3-4 examples
when all he wanted was “An idea” (ONE). Another change in goal post.
Me:
2 mins back
you said some colour on some national policy is good. Now I pointed it our ur
"an
idea, some suggestions. .." your words not mine. Mate I get where ur
At this point I thought there was little
point in continuing this conversation. What I mistook for genuine curiosity was
nothing but hate which felt ‘righteous’. In the quest for what felt ‘right’
this otherwise apparently intelligent person changed goal posts multiple times
and even lied on a few occasions. I realised that much as I would want him to
change his stance or even just acknowldge the truth, it won’t happen, but a
certain stand felt right. I could answer all the questions and conditions, but
would be met with new ones, new goal posts, new lies. Why? Because that just
‘felt’ right. Just like Derren’s brainwashed audience.
